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Kernel configuration questions

Hi list,

I am trying to make my 2.6 kernel as small as possible for my laptop. What I want to do is remove any modules from the build and optimize as much as possible for my current hardware that really does not change.

I want to optimize my kernel for the amount of memory and hardware that I have. Can anyone point me to a place that can help me configure my kernel to my hardware?

I have noticed a change (starting maybe a year ago) in that the fan comes on a lot which really probably means the CPU is generating more heat. This may be due to the addition of more memory (I upgraded from .5 GB to 1 GB) , the addition of a larger (and faster HD) or my video card working over time. It is for this reason primarily that I want to make my kernel support my hardware better so that I don't burn it up from the heat it generates.

If someone on this list can help, I will provide my kernel config and output from lspci to help.

Few things you could do:
* Get rid of un-necessary device modules.
* Compile in into the kernel the drivers of devices you use (e.g. network card)
* Enable high memory support (4GB). IIRC, if you don't have this enabled, Linux won't access all of your 1GB ram.

Thats all I can think of right now, if you need more help, don't hesitate to ask.

Another problem minimizing 2.6 kernel size -- initrd, grub

OK. Everything seems pretty clean right now. I have minimized my 2.6 kernel to what looks like only the necessary drivers. One, problem I am still having is that I want to get rid on the initrd-2.6.xx.img. I cannot find how to configure my kernel to omit the need for the initrd image. I suspect that it is not as simple as compiling all modules into the kernel. Besides, I want to allow for modules anyway as I build a couple of packages against the running kernel that add kernel modules that are not part of the stock linux kernel.

Anyone know of a site that can explain how to make my self-built kernel run without the need of an initrd image? The only sources I have found so far only say "build all necessary hardware support into the kernel and not as modules" which I have done. Yet that kernel still will not boot without the initrd image.

Perhaps it is a change to my grub configuration too that I am missing. Ideas?